......Home » What is a LowC RESCo?
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Careful use of renewable energy technologies combined with energy efficiency measures can have a significant impact on the carbon emissions of a development, and a combination of energy efficiency and renewable energy supply is essential for near/zero carbon buildings. Renewable energy installations are typically capital intensive with payback periods in excess of 5 years, and this can place a substantial financial burden on existing and new developments. An alternative method of renewable energy procurement exists in the form of a Renewable Energy Services Company (RESCo), in which the client purchases energy units in a long term purchase agreement from an onsite renewable energy installation. The key criteria for acceptability of the RESCo structure is the resulting energy rates charged through the scheme. The RESCo model will depend on all selected site users purchasing from the RESCo company as opposed to a standard utility provider, hence the need to provide competitive energy rates. The capital investment, maintenance and operation of the installation is managed by the LowC RESCo management company, thereby taking the installation costs off the project balance sheet. As the LowC RESCo will usually be set up as a not for profit organisation any profits can be reinvested in the community. This creates the added benefit of building community engagement and commitment, helping to ease planning permission, breaking down barriers to local generation and long term contracts and increasing energy & carbon awareness. Moreover, as a not for profit organisation the LowC RESCo will deliver low energy use, low carbon emissions and lower energy bills, while guaranteeing security of supply and operational compliance. LowC has demonstrated that a RESCo structure is a deliverable and cost effective vehicle to reduce a site’s total carbon footprint using onsite zero carbon generation. |
